


The Matchmaker

by Titti



Series: Twenty Week challenge [3]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-20
Updated: 2005-06-20
Packaged: 2017-12-15 22:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serenity considers herself lucky, and now she wants to give some luck back to her occupants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Twenty Week challenge at http://www.livejournal.com/community/20weeks/411.html  
> Character: Serenity

In her life, Serenity has learned one important thing: humans are strange beings. They don't understand that machines are not the same. Oh, they think that the value of the machine is determined by its use and complexity, but they are wrong. The difference is luck.

At first sight, no one would think that Serenity is lucky, but she knows different. She had spent her best years ruling the sky, and then she was put in a junkyard, but she didn't lose her faith. She was rewarded when Mal arrived. That was a lucky day for both of them.

Serenity was soon flying again, and Mal.... Mal got something he never dreamed of. Mal got a family. It wasn't easy or overnight, but they all came together. Zoe and Wash were the first; they were the smartest as well, and they have been living happily (on most days) together.

Then there was Inara. She gave Serenity the touch of class that brought Serenity back to her glorious days, when being on a firefly meant more than smuggling and crime. Serenity likes Inara, enjoys the feel of silk as the woman's clothes brush against floors and walls, captures the aroma of her incense, but Inara is not the woman Serenity loves.

There is one woman who captured Serenity's engine from the moment she walked on board: Kaylee, the sweet girl with the magic touch. From the start, Kaylee could 'feel' Serenity in a way that no one else had. If Serenity were human, she'd have married Kaylee by now, but she's not human, and she does what she can to give Kaylee what she needs.

Kaylee thinks that she needs the doctor, but Serenity knows better. She holds Simon in high esteem, but Serenity knows that Simon can only love one woman: River. He will never be free to love Kaylee the way she deserves to be loved. No, Serenity has decided that the person Kaylee truly needs is someone educated, gentle, loving. Kaylee needs Inara.

Unfortunately, as much as Serenity has tried in the past, things never worked out. Anytime the two women were even remotely close to sharing something more than friendship, Mal had arrived and ruined everything.

This morning, Mal interrupted them for the last time. Serenity has finally taken steps to fix the problem, and in the process, she hopes that she can give Mal some happiness too. After all, anyone, human or machine, can see that Jayne cares about the captain.

"Somebody tell me why I'm still stuck in a room with Jayne. It's been hours," Mal's voice comes over the ship's communication system.

"I don't rightly know, Captain." Serenity is happy to hear Kaylee's upbeat voice. "Me and Inara are locked in the engine room. I'll find what's wrong with my girl, but I need time."

"Captain, I'm with Wash on the bridge. Everything is quiet up here." Zoe sounds as confident as always.

"At least we have no troubles," Mal replies. "Kaylee, you have time, 'bout ten minutes before I kill Jayne."

"She wants you to stay in that room." River giggles over the communication system, before Simon takes over. They might think that River is insane, but the girl understands Serenity in ways that no one else does. "Never mind, Captain. The Shepherd is here with us. We are stuck as well."

"Don't ya worry. I'll fix her. Now, everyone quiet, I need concentrating."

"That's my girl. Remember ten minutes." Mal closes the connection, and turns to Jayne. "Stop playing with that gun."

"I ain't hurting no one," Jayne replies bitter. "You know, you can't blame me for this."

Mal sighs, and sits on the bunk, next to Jayne. "I know, I know. It's just..."

"Unnerving." Jayne shrugs when he sees Mal's incredulous look. "You like to have things under control. I reckon you wouldn't like to be stuck like this."

"I don't." Mal puts a foot on the bunk, and rests his arm on his knee. "How can you stand it?"

"With my job, you learn to wait around, doing nothin' until someone needs some dying to do, but once the guns are out..." Jayne grins wickedly. "I'm not patient then. Everythin' else, I can wait."

Serenity can feel the heat from the room. Those two might not understand yet, but if she keeps them locked together long enough, they'll be without clothes soon enough. She focuses on her girl again.

Kaylee is on the floor, trying to find what's wrong. She's sweating, and tired. Serenity almost starts working again to spare her the work, but then Inara sits on the floor as well. She puts a hand on Kaylee's thigh. "You should rest for a while. Another few minutes won't kill anyone, not even Jayne. Here, drink some water."

Kaylee comes from under the engines, and grins. " 'M not so sure. Mal might kill Jayne just to make a point." She takes the water and swallows it greedily, spilling it over her thin shirt. When she stops drinking, she notices Inara looking at her. "What? Something wrong?"

"No." Inara shakes her head. "Nothing, really, just..." She reaches lightly and dries the corner of Kaylee's mouth, before sliding her fingers over Kaylee's lips.

Neither woman says a word, watching each other intensely. Serenity can't feel them breath, her own engine hiccup makes Serenity shake and Inara fall on Kaylee, and finally they kiss, just like she has planned for weeks.

Serenity is patient, very patient, but when luck is not on your side, who can blame a ship for making her own luck!


End file.
